Idée Fixe
by Selenese
Summary: Byakuya finds the reincarnation of his wife in the world of the living. He cannot help but think he is going about this the wrong way. She feels that she is being haunted. She refuses to think that she is going insane. Byasana Dark fic. (Originally titled Obsessions.)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Just editing this story, it needed to be cleaned up a bit. This story was originally titled "Obsessions."**

_**I-dée fixe:**_

_an idea or desire that dominates the mind; an obsession_

* * *

><p>-o-<p>

He does not know what he's doing here, neither should he _be_ here. He stares silently at her window, his hand shaking as it grasps the hilt of his zanpakuto. He should not be in the real world right now, for he has no actual reason to be there. Soul Society thinks he is just checking on Rukia and that _boy's _progress in the living world, but he is actually here for an entirely different reason. On his last mission to the world of the living, he had sensed a familiar spiritual pressure. It was a weak one, so he chose to ignore it and continue about his way. Moments later, the presence became stronger and he found himself being attracted to the force.

There she was, clad in a tight fitting pink hoodie, with matching flats and black skinny jeans. She walks alone at night, occasionally glancing at her cellular device and giggling quietly, sliding up the screen to text a quick reply. Her long blue-black hair, which reaches just a bit below her underarm, is pulled back into a loose bun, that same lone stand falling between her amethysts orbs. She's exactly the same.

His heart clenches painfully at the realization that Hisana has apparently been reborn into the world of the living after her death in Soul Society. She does not remember him.

He follows her, flash stepping across the rooftops, his shadow herding her, protecting her from the dangers of the night. He notices that she seems carefree, all the guilt she had had from abandoning Rukia was now gone. She's beautiful, he thinks as she walks along the sidewalk, her tiny hands clutching onto the strap of the bag that's slung across her shoulder. He notices it reads "Karakura College" across the hem.

A sigh escapes his lips as he stares after her retreating form. He should not be here and yet he is unable to draw away.

-o-

Some months pass and he is unable to resist any longer. He must touch her, feel her, communicate with her _somehow_. He knows what will happen if Soul Society discovers what he's been doing, but for now he doesn't care. The noblemen fazes through her window and into her room, his face struggles to remain stoic when he hears Senbonzakura shouting in his head. He knows this is wrong. He does not care.

His shadow casts over her sleeping frame as he stands over her.

"Hisana," he whispers hoarsely. He knows she will not reply, but he allows himself the pleasure of saying her name, a name that has not been spoken of in over fifty years. His steely gray eyes narrow as they scan around her room. Drawings of bunnies and other woodland creatures taped along the peeling walls.

A smirk ghosts across his features, and he returns his eyes back to his slumbering wife, his usual hard gaze softening. The rise and fall of her chest as she breathes, the gentle sound of her breathing from her parted lips.

Byakuya reaches forward to touch her, but stills his hand. He silently curses himself and draws away, eyes closing in frustration. He should not. This Hisana is not his, she does not remember him.

A small moan interrupts his thoughts, and his gaze draws back to her. She turns on her side, toward him, long ebony hair falling into her face, her small legs pushing the cover down to her ankles. That won't do. Without thinking, his hand reaches forward, brushing away the stubborn strands and resting on her cheek. Mortified, he begins to pull away but finds himself unable to move his hand. Instead, his thumb brushes against her cheek, tracing along her jaw line. She leans into his caresses, and his hand travels downward. Brushing along the plump of her breast and down toward her legs. Knowing hands inch up her nightgown, brushing against her panties. He slips a finger into her, and he is awarded with a small gasp of pleasure. His thumb searches for that spot, and her back arches. Cries of pleasure escape her lips, face flushed as she clenches around him. Another finger slips into her awaiting core and her moans increase in volume. He vows that he will be the only man to hear that sound. Moments later her back arches and she lets out a small mewl. She's adorable.

He hears her breath hitch and surprised, he turns back to her face. She has awoken.

Wide eyes stare up at him, and his heart lurches at the utter terror shone in them.

"His-"

"Get away from me!" she screams perhaps way louder than she needs too, he thinks. He is not thinking rationally, it happens so fast and he stumbles backward. She grabs her phone from the nightstand, dialing for help. She thinks of him as a lowly rapists that has intruded into her home. He scowls at that, grays orbs locked with amethyst for a brief second before he disappears before her eyes. An icy cold chill runs down her spine and she silently stares at where the man had once been. The police calling to her on the other line, but she is too frightened to speak.

"_Hello? Miss, hello? We're sending someone over right away..just..just hang in there okay?"_

The squad six captain watches the scene from a nearby rooftop, sirens rushing down the street toward her house. He watches as the officers break down the door to her home, and moments later carry out his traumatized wife, directing her into an awaiting ambulance.

He's just startled her, that's all.

She'll be his again soon, nothing will be able to take her away from him this time.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.**

* * *

><p>-o-<p>

_It felt as if she were suffocating. _

_Hisana gasped for air, her small hands clawing at her throat, desperately trying to inhale oxygen into her tightening lungs. It felt like she was underwater, as if someone was drowning her, drowning her again and again each time she tried to surface. The girl's eyes rolled back into her skull, her breaths coming in short bursts as her arms flailed around her petite frame. _

_It hurt. It hurt so much._

_Suddenly she began to cough, each cough shook her to the very core, each violent jerk she made as her lungs constricted, sending waves off agony through her being._

_Oh Kami, it hurts… Please make it stop._

_Her throat which had gone dry tightened painfully and splatters of blood decorated the futon as a thin line of crimson pooled from the girl's lips. Her lips, which had gone pale from her sickness. The sickness that drained the color from her skin, the sickness that would soon drain the very life from her body._

_Please…stop._

_And her prayers were answered. For it did. She could feel a large warm hand grasp her small one. Loving words being whispered in her ear as she took her very last breath._

"_-kuya-sama… I'm sorry."_

_._

_._

_._

"_-kuya-sama."_

_I'm so sorry._

-o-

"_-sana,"_

"Mmf,"

"_Hi_sana, wake up you idiot."

"lemmelone…"

"HISANA!"

Hisana Kiyomi started awake, nearly hitting her head on the headboard of the hospital bed.

"W-wha!?"

The college sophomore turned her head to the right, directing her attention to the girl sitting at her bedside. The girl stared worriedly at Hisana, a sympathetic but skeptical expression plastered on her face.

Reiko Hisoka was one of Hisana's closest friends. Hisana had always been shy, growing up in a foster home when her parents were killed in car accident. She had first met Reiko in middle school. Reiko was always the popular girl. She had short curly red hair, a large (large being an understatement) bust and that signature 'Don't fuck with me' attitude. The two had met when Hisana was being bullied one day by the school's delinquent boys. They had tried to feel her up and Reiko, seeing this, quickly ran to the small girl's defense. Let's just say that the boys each left with a broken nose and their ability to have children taken away. After that, Reiko had always been there to protect Hisana and the two had been inseparable ever since.

"R-Reiko? W-where am I?"

The said girl said nothing for awhile, her crystal blue orbs narrowing as she took in her friend's appearance.

"You're in the hospital, Hisana."

Hisana's eyes widened, becoming aware of her surroundings. Her amethyst gaze swept across the room at the white tile floors, one lonely piece of art decorated the plain pale walls-an attempt to make the patient feel at ease and comfortable perhaps.

"Hisa, apparently last night you called the police? You said someone had broken into your house and," Reiko eyes darted up again to questionably take in Hisana's appearance. Long raven hair cascaded down the girl's back, ending at her middle and framing her pale heart shaped face, large violet eyes peaked through that stubborn strand of hair resting at the middle of her forehead. "Tried to rape you?"

The girl's blood went cold, her body going rigid as she suddenly recalled the night prior. She remembered the stale grey eyes burning into her soul. She remembered the large man's harsh hands brushing against her panties. She started to shake violently, her breath coming in short gasps.

Reiko noticed this and jumped up, pulling the smaller girl into her arms and kissing her forehead.

"Shh, Hisa. It's okay."

The petite girl clinched her legs together instinctively, shaking her head in an attempt to banish the traumatizing memory from her mind.

"But what I don't understand is…the police investigated your apartment for evidence. All your windows were locked, there were no fingerprints, footprints, anything!"

Reiko frowned, wiping away the tears that began to pool at her friend's eyes. She gripped the smaller girl's shoulders, turning her to face her.

"No one could have possibly been in your apartment, Hisana."

The two friends stared silently at each other. The silence is erie, unbearable, and Hisana can already hear the words that her friend is too afraid to say out loud.

_Are you sure you didn't imagine all of this, Hisana?_

She's shaking now and her heart's beating furiously in her chest.

"Y-you think I made a-all this up? R-Reiko-!"

"No! I'm not saying that…It's just-"

"He _disappeared_, Reiko! He just _**disappeared **_r-right in front of me R-Reiko!"

The redhead sighed, closing her eyes. Hisana was stressed. That's all. School was stressful for her. That's all. She fine, she just had a bad dream. _That's all._

"Maybe you just _thought _you saw someone, Hisana."

It did seem unlikely that someone would just vanish. Literally just _vanish_ in thin air…

"You're stressed, Hisa. School's been tough on all of us. You had a bad dream, Hisana."

Reiko forced a smile, her hard crystal orbs meeting her friend's amethyst ones.

Hisana breathed in shakily and nodded. Reiko was always there to reassure her that was something that Hisana admired about her redhead friend. Reiko was Hisana's better half. While Hisana was shy, short, pale, skinny, maybe even a little _cowardly_, Reiko was the opposite. Strong, loud, tall, and _brave_.

"O-okay, maybe you're right, Reiko. I probably just imagined it…" she said timidly, her small hands playing with the papery fabric of the hospital gown. As much as she wanted to believe that she had just simply _imagined _last night a part of her denied her words. She knew what she saw. She wasn't crazy, Hisana was not _insane_.

"Good." Reiko stated. Her lips, which had been set in a straight line pulled back into a smile, a genuine one. Hisana knew that this would be the last that they'd discuss of it.

"Now, get dressed. The hospital said you could leave today. I came to take you home."

-o-

Hisana exits the hospital building after Reiko, following behind the taller redhead to her car. She grasps in her hands a file of the report taken by the police that night.

_-Case: 3902_

_We arrived at the scene on November 1, 2011 at approximately 1:10 A.M _

_The doors to the residence were locked and we had to access the apartment through forced entry. Upon entering, we found the victim, Hisana Kiyomi, lying on her bed in her bedroom. One of my men attempted to question her but she remained unresponsive. She appeared to be staring at the foot of her bed for some time until she was removed and placed into an awaiting ambulance. My men and I checked for any signs of entry, but it appears that all the windows, along with the back door, were unopened. We had search dogs sniff the entire apartment and we also checked for footprints, fingerprints, and stray hairs. Those found were only belonging to Ms. Kiyomi. No foreign forensic evidence has been acquired. All items also appear to be accounted for._

A burst of November wind blew her ebony hair from her face and an icy cold chill ran down Hisana's spine.

No one could have possibly been in her apartment last night.

"Hisana."

She jumped, startled and turned, raven locks whipping around her head wildly.

But it was just Reiko. Just Reiko staring worriedly at her out of the window from the driver's seat.

"Get in, stupid."

"H-hai! Right!"

The petite girl climbed into the _Honda Civic _smiling nervously and buckling her seat belt. Hisana didn't want this, jumping nervously at every little sound. She didn't want to be paranoid for the rest of her life!

The student sighed, face in hand as she was driven back to her apartment. Reiko drove slowly as to not set the girl off again. The oranges, reds and yellows of fall shown brightly and happily through the windows of the Civic and Karakura Town seemed peaceful, if only for a moment.

The universe was mocking her.

She could feel it.

They drove steadily through the crowded city, nearing one of its more rural outskirts. They were nearing her apartment. _Her lonely apartment, far away._

The Civic slowed to a stop in front of the rented residence and Hisana took a deep breath. As she opened the door and was about to step out, a hand grasped her arm.

"You'll be fine, Hisa. You know I'd never let anyone hurt you."

The raven haired girl smiled, a blush reddening her pale cheeks.

"H-hai. Arigato, Reiko-san."

The two shared a quick hug and they were of. Hisana waved half heartedly as the Civic drove down the road, watching it disappear around the corner seconds later.

Unknown to her, the dark presence of a silhouette stood watching from a nearby rooftop.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Bleach ain't mine. But if it was, Hisana would still be alive.**

* * *

><p>To say that he was angry was an understatement.<p>

A massive one.

He had watched over her, herded her, protected her from the dangers of this world and this was what he received? The woman he loved, the woman he _adored_ was utterly terrified of him. After everything he had done, everything he has sacrificed for her, she still could not love him back.

First there was pain, so much of it that the shinigami almost fell to his knees from the shear force of it all. Byakuya gripped his chest, almost shredding the thick fabric of his robes. The agony of heartbreak pierced through his chest, his ribcage and the feeling of ice overcame him. It burned, and his slate grey eyes clenched shut, his hands shaking, his lungs tightening…

Then there was anger.

Fiery hot rage coursed through the captain's veins, and his reiatsu flared violently, causing the earth around him to tremble. Car alarms sounded off in the distance and the nobleman glared hatefully at the world. This pathetic human world…

Senbonzakura is shouting to him again. The sword is telling him to leave, his job here is done. It is not Hisana's fault that she does not remember him.

"_Captain!" _He shouts, and Byakuya can hear the desperation in his voice.

"_You should have known this was going to happen! Leave! Leave now before you do something that you will regret!_

The nobleman's reiatsu is still flaring, whipping savagely at the air around him. He begins to feel a burning sensation in his chest- a hollow feeling.

"_Captain! Captain, stop! This Hisana is not the one we knew. She does not belong to us! You must cease this behavior and we must return to Soul Society at once!"_

Suddenly the feeling is gone. The captain seems to make sense of what his zanpakuto is saying and the world around him comes to a standstill. The death god regains his composure, his face relaxing into his usual calm and aristocratic façade.

However, despite his appearance, the shinigami is not in his right mind. His conscious drifts away, reminiscing the moments of his married life. His wife, his Hisana, the young girl that stolen his heart. He remembers her porcelain skin, her raven hair, those gorgeous amethyst eyes. He remembered her cries when he took her, the way her slender legs would timidly wrap around his waist and how her nails would drag themselves along his back…

His nostrils flared and his reistsu nearly spiked again, but he controlled it.

Byakuya closed his eyes, his signature glare deepened and he took a shallow breath.

He flash stepped towards the direction of Hisana's apartment.

-o-

Despite being back in her own home, Hisana could never let her guard down. She felt as if someone was watching her every movement, and it made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up on end.

_I'm paranoid… _She thought as she collected her textbooks and placed them into her bag.

Hisana pulled a thick sweater over her petite frame and stepped outside. The leaves bristled around her, and the whispering tinkle of a nearby wind chime could be heard. The girl rolled her eyes, not wanting to be the victim of a cliché teen horror movie, she started down the path of her drive way.

"When I get a car I won't need to walk to university. That is, if I ever _do_ get one."

She sighed when a burst of wind blew through her hair, loosening her bun and causing long strands to frame her face.

-o-

Hisana entered the lecture hall and sat in the very back just as she always did. The students around her were staring at the speaker unenthusiastically. Some of them were listening to their music devices, while others were simply asleep. Hisana pulled her notebook and pen from her bag and began to copy down notes. It was the same boring routine everyday. Wake up, go to your classes, come home, and don't show yourself until the next day. This, her psychology class, had to be the most boring thing in existence.

Hisana let her mind wonder, her professor's babbling becoming muffled.

_The man's eyes were slate grey, and his hair was of medium length. He appeared to be important, judging from his clothes and the way he had stared at her was full of need, want, lust, and maybe even love._

The raven haired girl blushed when she remembered his touches and she tightly shut her legs. Hisana shifted uncomfortably in her seat for a few moments before stilling awkwardly. Her breathing began to heavy and she held her face in her hands.

_I didn't see anything…_ She thought. _Reiko said…R-Reiko s-said-_

"Are you alright?"

Hisana jumped, startled, and looked around. A few students were staring questionably at her with worried faces, some annoyed.

"Oi,"

She turned to her left where a boy with blond hair and dark grey eyes sat a few seats away.

"I asked if you were alright?" he repeated, a smirk plastering on his face as he took in her confused expression.

"I…"

The boy only shook his head and gathered his things, he moved closer to Hisana, plopping down in the seat next to her.

"I'm fine." she lied, ducking her head nervously at the strange boy's closeness.

"You don't look fine," he whispered, glancing at the professor, who hadn't noticed anything yet. "You had your face in your hands, and you looked like you were about to cry."

"No, I'm fine," Hisana said quickly, waving her hands in dismissal. She had never done to well around boys. Hisana had never had a boyfriend, not to say that no boys had ever tried, it was just that she was socially awkward and often ran away blushing whenever she came into contact with them.

The stranger smiled gently at her, and Hisana could feel the heat rush to her cheeks.

"My name's Daisuke Fumio," he said kindly, reaching out and offering his hand.

Hisana stared at it and ducked her head again, blushing furiously.

Daisuke blinked, and let his hand drop. The blond let out a quiet laugh and opened his textbook. He began to copy down notes from the projection screen with a goofy smile on his face.

The pair went on that way silently for a few moments, Daisuke copying down his notes, and Hisana sitting stiffly, helpless and unsure of what to do.

A while later, he spoke again.

"So, uh…what's your name?"

" Kiyomi H-Hisana."

"Hisana," he said his eyes smiling "That's a nice name."

"T-thank you, Fumio-kun."

"Please," he said, leaning back in his seat with a smirk "Call me Daisuke."

-o-

Reiko had always known that Hisana wasn't the most outgoing girl in the world, but when she had learned of Daisuke, she couldn't help but get excited. Had Hisana finally found Mr. Right? Someone to protect her when Reiko wasn't there to do so herself?

"It's not like that, Reiko…" Hisana murmured shyly as they sat in the Food Center of Karakura University.

"Too fast?" Reiko says jokingly, taking a large bite of her sandwich. "I'm just excited! Hisana, you've never had a boyfriend before, and this guy seems to be really into you!"

Hisana frowns at that, poking at her bowl of rice with her chopsticks.

"Just because he was nice doesn't mean he likes me…"

Reiko rolled her crystal blues, her mouth curving upwards into a smile.

"Hisana, all I'm saying is… don't push this one away. You need to try to make as many connections with people as you can," at that, Reiko's smile became gentle and she reached over to take Hisana's hands, completely dwarfing them.

"And after what happened, Hisa," she whispered "You need someone to protect you. I cannot always be there for you, no matter how much I'd like to."

Hisana bit her lip. What her friend was saying was true. Reiko could not be there 24/7 to protect her all the time.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to, Hisa. But, please at least try to get to know this guy. You never know unless you try."

Hisana nodded slowly.

"Good," the redhead said "Now, I have to get to my next class. I'll call you later, alright?"

She nodded again.

Reiko smiled and pulled the girl into a tight hug.

"You'll be fine! And if this Daisuke guy turns out to be a creep, I'll kick his ass!"

-o-

The strangest things began to happen after that.

There were times where Hisana would wake up out of breath and she would feel as if there was a menacing presence standing at her bedside.

There were times where she would return home, and the things in her apartment were not as she left them.

There was an incident where she was in the shower, and she would feel someone press against her. It was gentle, so feathery and light that she thought that she had imagined it.

Someone, something was there, toying with her.

And for the first time, Hisana considered that maybe her house was haunted.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.**

* * *

><p>-o-<p>

Reiko Hisoka hated feeling helpless.

She hated it more than anything else in the world.

She hated feeling weak. She hated feeling fragile. She hated feeling _scared_.

_She was only seven years old. She watched as her step father struck down her mother, she watched the crimson trail of blood drip from her mother's cracked lips. The man grabbed her mother's throat, lifting her high in the air, before slamming her back down again._

"_Ma!"_

_The man-no, the monster looked up at her, the corners of his lips curling upwards into a disgusting smirk. He released the woman below him and stalked toward her._

"_Come here, love."_

_The girl took a step back, wide eyes flickering from the man to her injured mother. She had never been so afraid in her life. Sweat ran down her temple, her breathing quickened, and she began trembling. He was drunk._

"_What? Are you going to cry?"_

_Reiko shook her head violently, red hair flipping wildly in fright. Despite this, the tears began falling. The salty liquid pooled heavily from her crystal blues, clouding her vision. This only terrified her more, she was alone with a madman, and now she couldn't even see. Reiko clutched her chest, her breathing ragged. She choked violently on the air, desperately trying to steady her hyperventilating._

"_Idiot, girl," the man sneered. He brought back his hand, as if about to strike her, and Reiko screamed. She screamed so loud that her ears popped, and her throat went raw and hoarse._

_The man winched and growled angrily, clutching his head into his hands. In a drunken rage, he lashed out at her, his fist crashing into the side of her tiny head. Reiko saw stars and fell backwards. She lay there._

_Her step father suddenly stopped, his gaze traveling lower. Reiko's eyes followed, dazed._

_Hot liquid trailed between her legs, dampening her skirt. The smell, made her nose twitch in disgust. She had urinated on herself. She had peed on herself. _

_The man threw his head back, a shrill laugh bellowing throughout their poor, damaged home. Reiko's tears only fell harder, her cries escalating to gross uncontrollable sobbing. The terror and embarrassment was just too much for her, and she collapsed on the ground, exhausted._

"_Reiko…"_

_Her mother watched helplessly from where she lay, tears filling her eyes._

"_SHUT UP!" The man screamed, turning briefly to address the woman before returning his attention back to the girl in front of him. His gaze traveled lower, his eyes glazed with sinister intent. He grabbed the girl by her arm, hoisting her up harshly._

"_You disgusting little shit," his eyes darted to her undergarments "We should get you cleaned up, yeah?"_

_He practically ripped the dress from the child's small frame, and she screamed again._

"_REIKO! No, leave her alone! Please…Please!"_

_But he didn't listen. He stripped the child and unbuckled his pants._

_And after that night, she vowed that she'd never let it happen again._

-o-

Her step father died a few years after that, and she had rejoiced.

Reiko shut her eyes tightly at the memory, her fists clenching. She felt a sudden vibration in her pocket and pulled out her cell phone.

"_**I'm meeting up with Daisuke later…**_

_**Can you come with me?**_

_**-From Hisana"**_

_Hisana…_

Reiko smiled at the thought of her little raven haired friend.

The two had met in middle school, eighth grade to be exact. Reiko had been chatting with her group of friends. They weren't your typical girls that discussed boys and makeup, none of that stupid shit. Reiko and her group were tough. They discussed sports, wrestling, gymnastics… Her group could give anyone a run for their money. They weren't bullies per say but they delivered a clear message that they weren't to be fucked with.

Reiko had been roaming the hallways one day, the bell had long sense range, but she didn't care.

As she was rounding the corner, she froze. In front of her were three teenage boys. They had cornered a petite girl against the lockers, one of them was holding onto her wrists, and he had a knee placed between her legs. Another of the three had grabbed onto the girl's chest, ignoring her shouts. Reiko caught a glimpse of the girl's face, her eyes widening. Tears. She was crying, and was shaking violently.

"P-please…l-leave me alone." she whispered, and the boys only laughed. _They only laughed._

And Reiko saw red. Without a second thought she lunged herself into the fray, ripping away the boy that had been pinning the girl. He let out a startled cry at the unexpected shove and fell backwards. Reiko took the opportunity to jump on top of him, effectively pinning him with her legs.

The other two delinquents took off in fright, leaving their victim to slump to the ground. Reiko couldn't control herself. She pulled back her fist, rage blinding her crazed blue eyes.

_And she punched him. She punched him again and again until her fists were covered with his blood. Her knuckles cracked, bone crushing under the sheer force of her strikes. Teachers and students alike emerged from their classrooms, startled by the commotion. Everyone was screaming around her, telling her to stop, _pleading_ for her to stop. The boy had by now gone limp, the skin underneath his eyes blackened, and the sickening crunch of his teeth sounded through the halls. But Reiko didn't listen, rage coursed through her blood and the girl screamed savagely into the air, tears cascading down her cheeks, mixing with the crimson splatters that decorated her face. _

And then she was pulled away. Thick puddles of blood covered the floor, the lockers, the walls… Reiko was dragged to the office, but not before her eyes locked with the girl she had saved. An indescribable feeling shot through her, and her emotions raced. The urge to _protect _became overwhelming as she stared into the tiny girl's thankful, amethyst eyes.

And a forever lasting bond was formed that day.

_I'll do whatever it takes to protect you,_

_Hisana…_

-o-

"So you're Daisuke Fumio."

Said boy smiled kindly, reaching out his hand in a friendly attempt.

Reiko stared at it, distrusting. She narrowed her eyes, looking the boy up and down. He didn't _seem_ like a pervert. He also didn't seem like a delinquent either. He had blond hair, and was dressed in a nice ironed dress shirt and tie with a pair of dark colored skinny jeans. The atmosphere of the Sushi restaurant was tense and awkward. Hisana sat nervously and helplessly between the two.

"Is your hair naturally that color or…"

"Reiko!"

Reiko grinned, glancing over at Hisana, whose cheeks were decorated with a lovely blush.

Daisuke wasn't at all offended though. He chuckled, his grey eyes sparkling mischievously.

"Yeah, is yours?"

Reiko crossed her arms and pouted.

"Duh!"

They all laughed, thankful for the lessening tension and lightening atmosphere.

Reiko dropped her serious façade and smiled genuinely.

"I had to check you out first to see if you were eligible enough to date my, Hisa."

Hisana nearly choked on her water.

Daisuke smirked, casting Hisana a glance.

"Your Hisa? You two must be pretty close."

The blond smiled fondly at Hisana, who only lowered her head, nervous to meet his gaze. She was thankful for Reiko being there, but did she have to be so…so…rude? Reiko had always been blunt and overprotective of her she supposed.

"You bet, blondie." Reiko said, crossing her arms over her chest with an intimidating pose, her eyes however, were playful. "Just make sure you take good care of my Hisa," she leaned towards him slowly "Cause if you don't, I'll cut off your genitals."

Hisana spit out her water.

"No seriously. I mean it."

Daisuke laughed loudly, the noise feeling the quiet restaurant. The blond held his hands in the air and nodded.

"I'll take good care of her, ma'am."

Reiko nodded curtly, as if satisfied with his answer before she leaned down to ruffle her friend's long black locks.

"Have fun!" she whispered into Hisana's ear, and then in a second she was out the door.

When Reiko departed Hisana slid down in her seat, nervous, embarrassed and ready to disappear.

"Your friend seems…nice."

She nodded slowly.

"Y-Yeah…" Hisana chuckled, her eyes staring off into the distance "She's something isn't she?"

The rest of the night however, went surprisingly well. Hisana found herself opening up to Daisuke who she found was quite easy to talk to. He was interested in sports; soccer being one of his favorites. Hisana also liked soccer, and had attempted to play it on a few occasions. She often found herself getting injured somehow though.

"Oh come on!" he'd exclaimed "You can't be bad at _every_ sport, Hisana."

"No really I am!" she laughed "It's like my face is a ball magnet or something!"

"No way," Daisuke said before he was shot an angry glare from one of the restaurant owners. She put a finger to her lips and shushed him. "I guess we were being too loud." he whispered.

Hisana glanced up and she indeed noticed that the other occupants of the establishment were glaring at them. She ducked, embarrassed, after all it wasn't like her to make noise.

Daisuke grinned mischievously at her, causing Hisana to giggle.

"C'mon, let's go." he took her petite hand in his larger one and the pair quickly ushered out of the door.

"I can see why they're angry," she laughed "After all, we didn't even order anything! We just talked for two hours."

They laughed again and started down the sidewall towards Hisana's house. By now the sky was dark and the wind whistled angrily around the pair, causing them to huddle closer together for warmth. They're footsteps matched together in a steady rhythm as they made their way down the pebbled pathway.

"Hisana, don't you ever get scared living up here? I mean, you don't even live in the city, you basically live in the middle of the woods."

Hisana sighed sadly.

"Yes…a bit." she said quietly, "But it was the only place I could afford," her mind suddenly began replaying all the creepy occurrences that happened in her lonely apartment. Though the strange events didn't happen often, they were unsettling, and left the girl on edge.

Diasuke opened his mouth as if to suggest something, but quickly closed it, a thin shade of red covering his cheeks.

"If you uh, ever need anything, Hisana, let me know, okay…? I-If you want."

Hisana smiled up at the blond haired boy, giggling at his sudden shyness. When they neared the porch of her home, she turned back to him.

"I'll take you up on it."

-o-

"_N-no please, I…"_

"_Shhh…"_

"_But, Byaku-!"_

_The burning pressure increased in her abdomen, causing her to her cry out in ecstasy. Her raven hair spilled over his pillow and her back arched beneath him. She rocked into him, tears forming in her eyes as the pleasure overwhelmed her._

"_Cum for __**me**__...Hisana,"_

Hisana bolted upright, her amethyst colored eyes wide. The petite girl moaned and turned over in her bed.

_Again…_

Lately she had been having dreams, horribly graphic dreams that left her blushing crimson with soaked panties in the morning.

Hisana held her face in her hands, embarrassed with her behavior. She had never had such dreams before. Why were they happening now? She'd noticed that she always seemed to dream about the same person. All she could make out was that she dreamt of a tall man with dark hair…and she always seemed to be…

Hisana shook her head wildly, trying to clear the unclean thoughts from her head. Hisana was the definition of innocence. She'd never had sex, never been kissed, hell, she'd never even _hugged_ a guy before. The closest she's ever been to intimacy was by holding hands. And that was with Daisuke.

"Don't cry," she whispered to herself. She could feel the tears threatening to fall and she shut her eyes tightly. She felt embarrassed, ashamed, and dirty. She tried to ignore the dampness between her legs, but that _pleasant_ feeling still lingered in her abdomen.

She moaned again involuntarily and crawled out of her bed and headed to bathroom. She quickly undressed and stepped into the shower, a sigh of relief escaping her flushed lips.

She let the soothing water run down her body and began to watch herself, riding her body of sweat and impurities.

When she was finished Hisana climbed out of the shower, brushed her teeth and dressed in a loose fitting tank and sweatpants.

"No classes today," she hummed quietly to herself as she went to the kitchen to make herself some breakfast. She pulled a gallon of milk from the refrigerator and grabbed a bowl and spoon from the dish rack. She poured the flaky cereal into the mixture and sat at her tiny dining room table.

Suddenly she heard the sound of footsteps and felt a cool breeze pass by her. She shivered and looked up, her eyes darting frantically around the room.

She might _really_ have to take Daisuke up on that offer.


	5. Chapter 5

Winter came faster than expected, the days became shorter and the nights grew longer.

Hisana wasn't too fond of winter. The cold made her bones ache and the chills shook her fragile frame.

"Exams are finally over," Reiko announced, adjusting the large wooly scarf she wore around her neck.

"Soon we'll be on holiday, and I'll be going up to a ski resort with my cousin."

Hisana faked a smile, "A-ah, that's great! Have fun, Reiko."

Hisana wasn't used to going too long without her red headed friend, and the mere thought of her best friend going out of town for three weeks terrified her. She was a bit ashamed to admit how reliant she was on the redhead, but she was the only person she could trust. Reiko had always been the one she called at ungodly hours when she thought someone had broken in, or when she had a nightmare..

_I'm still having nightmares? I'm twenty one years old!_

The small girl bit her lip and lowered her head in shame.

Reiko, senseing her friend's discomfort, placed her hands on her shoulders reassuringly.

"D'ya want me to check your house for ghosts again before I leave?"

To anyone passing by, the question would have sounded like some sort of joke, but for the pair, the situation was deathly serious.

"Yes. I'd like you to come over...If t-that's not too much to ask?"

Reiko smiled, but to Hisana, if seemed forced, almost pitying, unlike Reiko's normally confident grins.

_She thinks I'm crazy..._

"Of course Hisana," Reiko said, removing her hands from Hisana's shoulders "It'll be no problem at all."

-o-

The two of them scanned the old and lonely apartment together, occasionally making small talk as they went.

"Y'know there's no such thing as ghosts, right Hisana?"

"I know," _A lie. _"It's just that I've been feeling a bit strange in here...after the incident."

"Hmm," the redhead murmured, poking her head from around a corner "Maybe you can stay with Daisuke until I get back? You two seem to like each other."

The accusation nearly sent her crashing into the wall, her arms flailing about.

"I do not!" _Another lie._ "B-besides, I wouldn't want to impose..."

Reiko's crystal blue eyes twinkled with amusement as she observed the shorter girl.

"I think you should stay with him," she winked "You might even hit that."

The smaller girl spluttered with embarrassment, hands covering her tomato red cheeks.

"Oh stop it, Reiko! That's gross!"

The redhead's expression softened.

"Love you Hisa, I'm going to miss you. Just brave out these next three weeks. You'll be fine."

Amethyst orbs met crystal blue.

"I love you too, Reiko."

Reiko smiled and gave the shorter girl a pat on the head. She gathered her things and walked out of the door towards the parked Civic. Hisana followed, arms wrapped tightly around her thin frame.

She did not put on a coat to see Reiko off, instead preferring to brace the the harsh cold that had descended over Karakura Town.

She watched as her friend opened the car door and stepped inside. Reiko quickly rolled down the driver seat window.

"Alright," Reiko said, giving Hisana a thumbs up "See you in a few weeks, Hisa." She then pulled out of the makeshift driveway, slowing the Civic briefly to shout, "Oh, and be careful!"

Then she was gone.

-o-

The ticking of the clock was the only sound that filled the small apartment. By now night had fallen, and Hisana sat on the sofa, holding a lukewarm cup of tea in her hands. She felt lost, empty somehow. When Reiko had left, she had felt like a part of herself left with her.

When Reiko had left, Hisana found herself confused and alone.

She had finished any assignments that she had been assigned over break, did the laundry, taken out the trash and straightened up her bedroom. Despite all of this, she still felt incomplete.

She felt as if there was something she needed o do, but she couldn't quite place it.

Hisana placed the tea cup onto the table and began to play with her nails,

She painted them blue; but halfway through decided that she did not like blue, so she placed down a coat of mint to cover the blue, only to find that it still showed through. After that she decided black would suffice, for it was strong and would cover both the mint and the blue. Finally, she concluded that she did not like the black, and began to pick at the polish with her nails. She chipped and peeled at the paint, and she did that for some time until a noise altered her.

It had come from the kitchen, and Hisana slowly rose from the couch. Her tiny bare feet touched the ground timidly.

"Hello?" she whispered gently, peering her head around the doorway into the kitchen.

She received the quiet humming of the refrigerator as a response.

Nothing seemed out of place. All of the dishes had been done earlier, and the trash had been emptied. The counters had all been wiped clean.

_Swoosh_

Hisana jumped, startled, and looked back towards the living room. She lingered in the doorway of the kitchen for a moment before entering the living room.

_There's no such thing as ghosts, Hisana._

The college sophmore bit her lip and slowly preceded around the room.

_Tik tok tik tok_

"H-hello?" she repeated. Her tiny footfalls made barely any sound as she observed the dimly lit room.

Then, there by the front door, she saw it. A letter.

Someone had pushed a letter underneath her front door.

Hisana stood, staring at the letter for a moment before kneeling down to slowly pick it up.

The raven haired female made her way upstairs to her room for a letter opener. She flipped the envelope over, only to find that it was blank.

The girl entered her room and reached for the opener on her desk. She took the thin blade in her hands and sliced the thin paper, taking out the beautiful piece of parchment inside.

And there, written in perfect calligraphy it read:

_My Dearest Hisana,_

_ It has been of my greatest pleasure to at last be reunited with you again. For over fifty years I have longed and waited for the moment to arrive in which I could finally find you again. You have not changed in the slightest, to the way your ebony hair falls and frames your delicate face and the way your rose coloured lips turn upwards into your timid smile... I am afraid that you will be the death of me, for you have no idea how much it pains me to see you everyday, but not be able to touch you, to protect you, to shower my love upon you're being in it's entirety. I wish to use every last ounce of my strength to preserve you, to be the keeper of your innocent soul. Forgive me my love, for I am a selfish man, but I beg of you to not misunderstand my intentions. I could never harm you. How could I possibly inflict such grief upon the woman that I have sacrificed so much for? The very woman that carries my heart? The woman that I would without hesitation defend with my life?_

_ Do not worry my dearest, our time of separation shall soon draw to an end. I shall take you, take you away from this pathetic world in which you suffer so. You shall reside with me, and I shall guide you through the transition from this world into the next. Only then will you be able to take your rightful place by my side._

There was no signature.

Hisana stared blankly at the letter in her shaking hands. A cold sweat fell over her, and she began to tremble violently.

"W-what?" she whispered to no one in particular. It was all too much to take in. No one had _ever_ shown such interest in her before...maybe this person had mistakenly dropped the letter off at the wrong house? No. It was addressed in her name...perhaps there was another Hisana, with long ebony hair and violet eyes?

It was extremely unlikely.

Hisana swallowed thickly, her paranoid mind already beginning to play worst case scenarios in her head. The girl took a shaky breath to calm herself and closed her eyes. She turned around slowly, the hair on the back of her neck standing on end.

"You appear frightened."

-o-

Violet eyes shot open and Hisana stood paralyzed.

She stared unblinkingly into the stony gray eyes of the man before her. She knew those eyes, for they belonged to the man-the very man who assaulted her dreams. The man that started this paranoia... The man from that night.

"Do not be frightened." the man murmured, and he took a step towards her.

"No!"

The man halted his movements, his face remaining impassive, cool, collected.

"It is not in my intentions to harm you."

She held the letter crumpled in her fists, her entire being was shaking. Violet orbs flickered from left to right and she found herself overcome with complete and utter _terror_.

"No." she said again, but it was barely a whisper this time.

There's no such thing as ghosts. There's no such thing as ghosts, there's no such thing as ghosts...**THERESNOSUCHTHINGASGHOSTS**

"Hisa-"

"**NO! STAY AWAY FROM ME!"**

And suddenly finding the strength to move her legs, she made a mad dash for the door. As she was nearing the doorway she felt a strong hand grip her arm. It held on firmly and without thinking, Hisana spun on her heel and with a swing of her arm plunged the letter opener into the man's chest. The sharp blade sunk deep through the fabric of his robes into the pale flesh underneath. In a spray of blood, crimson droplets decorated Hisana and the floor, and the man released her. Hisana ran down the stairs of her apartment, she could hear her heart beating in her ears, and could feel the adrenaline racing through her veins. To her shock the man promptly, in a blur, appeared in front of her. She attempted to twist out of his grasp but in doing so lost her step. She tumbled down the stairs, landing right on her head. The girl lay there for a moment, dazed before shooting up like a bullet. She stumbled towards the front door and flung it open.

There meeting her were a pair of blazing gray eyes.

With tears of desperation spilling down her checks Hisana reeled back.

She screamed.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So here is chapter five. I'm so sorry if took me so long to update, but I've been busy with school and finals and just life in general. I received a really sweet PM yesterday from a reviewer asking when I was going to update and I immediately dropped what I was doing and wrote this. XD Thanks so much for the kind words, I'm glad you all are enjoying this story! I will try to update more frequently from now on. This story is actually drawing to a close. There are only a few short chapters left, then the epilogue.**

**PLEASE PLEASE TAKE SOME TIME TO REVIEW! How did you all like Byakuya's letter? Wasn't it creepy? I tried to make it as aristocratic sounding as possible and not make it sound too OOC.**


	6. Chapter 6

Screaming in terror, Hisana reeled back and began to hit at her attacker. Hot tears were streaming from her eyes, clouding her vision.

"Hisana? Hisana-ow! It's me Hisana!"

The girl ceased her flailing. She brought a hand up to her eyes to clear her vision. That was not the voice of that man who chased her, instead this man-this boy, was shorter. He had blonde hair, and his blazing gray eyes were concerned as they observed her.

"D-Daisuke..?" she whispered, her voice hoarse from screaming.

The boy smiled gently, rubbing at his bruised arm.

"Hey, yeah, it's me. Why were you screaming? What the hell is going on?"

Wide amethyst eyes shot behind her.

"Daisuke! We need to leave Daisuke!"

The boy frowned slightly, his eyes following her gaze to the direction of her apartment.

"What? Did someone break in? Is someone in there?"

Hisana grabbed his arm and dragged him towards the direction of his car. She all but shoved him into the driver's seat before stumbling slightly and making her way to the passenger's side.

"Hisana," the blonde murmured as she entered the vehicle. He placed a hand on her shoulder to steady her. "If someone's in your apartment we have to call the pol-"

"NO!"

Daisuke stared perplexed at her sudden outburst. The raven haired girl had by now curled into herself in the car seat. She was trembling violently, flinching away from his touch.

"They'll think I'm crazy! I can't! Don't call them, G-God please, drive! Just drive Daisuke!"

Daisuke's eyes were wide as he watched her, but nevertheless he turned the key in the ignition and sped down the pebbled pathway. Away from her apartment and into the night.

-o-

_11:30 P.M._

Daisuke stepped out of the vehicle and made his way around to Hisana's side. Slowly, as not to startle her, he opened the door and wrapped one arm around her shoulders. He then moved his other arm underneath her knees and lifted her from the car, carrying her bridal style into his home.

The blonde entered the large complex and carried his raven haired companion into the living room. He placed the still frightened girl onto the couch and ran a hand through his hair tiredly.

Hisana wrapped her arms around her legs, large eyes flickering around the grand room. From what she could tell, Daisuke's home was absolutely _massive. _Much too large for the average college Sophomore to afford.

"Hisana, you have to tell me what's going on."

The small girl blinked, the sound of his concerned voice shaking her from her thoughts.

"Your house...It is...big."

Daisuke narrowed his eyes. He knew she was trying to change the subject, but he feigned ignorance.

"My family's pretty wealthy," he said, keeping his tone neutral "I don't talk about it much. Spreading around the fact that you're rich doesn't exactly attract the most...goodhearted of people."

Hisana nodded slowly, fixing her gaze on the marble floor.

"...Hisana? Look, Hisana, it's okay. Just tell me what happened."

The girl remained silent.

The blonde frowned, his patience with her beginning to wear thin.

"Hisana, answer-"

"Why were you at my front door?"

Daisuke blinked, confused.

"That's not important right no-"

"Why were you there!? Why were you there right when I opened the door?"

Daisuke sighed, his gray eyes lowering.

"Reiko called me. She told me to come pick you up, She told me she knew you'd be scared in your apartment alone."

"Hisana's cheeks reddened. She looked down to her knees, embarrassed and ashamed for having accused the blonde. He was such a nice guy, how could she have been so distrusting of such a kind gesture? Daisuke gave a small smile and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Reiko knew you wouldn't come to me, so she told me to come and get you. I was just about to knock on your door, then you ran out screaming and started hitting me...I'm still trying to figure out what you were screaming about."

The girl sat there, her eyes refusing to meet his gaze.

"Someone was chasing me..."

"What? Really?" worry overcame the blonde and he sat down next to her. "Are you hurt? What happened?"

"I-" she bit her lip nervously "I don't know...He j-just appeared, a-and the letter! There was a letter!"

Hisana reached into her jean pocket and pulled out the crumbed piece of parchment. With shaking hands she handed it to Daisuke.

The boy raised an eyebrow but took the paper anyway. His gray eyes scanned over the letter for a moment, and Hisana would have probably found his expression hysterical if the situation weren't so serious.

"What the hell is this!?" the boy exclaimed, throwing the letter to the side in disgust. "This is very serious Hisana! This man-this...this _creep _is going to keep coming after you! We have to call the police!"

"Please don't Daisuke!"

Daisuke stared at his raven haired friend, he could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins, and the strong urge to protect her overwhelmed his senses.

"They will think I'm insane...Reiko...you...everyone..."

The blonde's gaze softened and he wrapped a protective arm around her.

"None of this is your fault, Hisana. There's some creep after you- we need to call the police. I mean,_ 'take you away from this world'_? This guy obviously has an intent on harming you, Hisana!"

"I don't think anyone can see him, no one knows...that he's there."

Daisuke's eyes narrowed into confused slits.

"Hisana, what-"

"I d-did call the police. I called the police when I first saw him. O-oh God, Daisuke, I did. They checked my apartment...They checked and it was like he was never even there!"

"Hisana..."

"They thought I was crazy! This man-this man following me is real! He's real but Reiko can't see him, the police can't see him, none of you can see him!"

And with that the girl was reduced into hysterics. She began to quake violently and chock on her own labored breaths.

"Hisana, it's okay. I don't think you're crazy."

But she wasn't listening. It was all too much. Why her? Why was she always so helpless and weak? Why did she always find herself in these sorts of situations?

"Why would anyone stalk me? I'm not pretty, or smart, or rich! Why is this happening to me?"

Daisuke tried to calm the shaking girl. She was not speaking like herself and she was sobbing violently. He attempted to steady her quivering by pulling her into his embrace, but she only continued to struggle in fright. Worried and confused, Daisuke grabbed her shoulders and did the only thing he could do.

He kissed her.

-o-

She had ran from him. He had written to her, distanced himself from her over the past few months and she had _ran_ from him.

His dear wife had always adored his letters. He recalled how she would blush bashfully and dote on his calligraphy. Her reactions to any form of his love had always been ones of gratitude.

But this time he was rewarded with terrified screams and a knife to his heart.

Of course he had followed her; did she think that he would not? Hidden from view he had watched as his petite wife ushered the flustered blonde into his vehicle and made their way to what he presumed to be the boy's home. As the boy carried his beloved inside, he couldn't help the savage _rage _that shot through him.

"_Captain,"_ Senbonzakura says calmly, and there is a hint of sadness in his voice. As a zanpakuto, he too shared some of his master's feelings. It is a pity that the one they love cannot remember them...but this had gone much too far now.

"_I know that you grieve for her,"_ he winces slightly _"but there is nothing that can be done. This reborn Hisana is different from the one in which we knew."_

Byakuya closes his eyes, contemplating the words of his zanpakuto.

"_It is time we leave here."_

The Kuchiki heir opens his eyes and begins to turn away, only to be stopped by a sudden shriek.

It had come from this boy's home.

The captain flashsteps to the window, eyes narrowing dangerously at the site before him.

Hisana is there struggling against the blonde. She wrestles her tiny body away from him, only for him to grasp her shoulders, forcing her against his chest in a tight embrace. Hisana continues to struggle, her body is shaking and tears are streaming down her flushed face. Her long raven locks whip around her, and what he sees next is enough to tip the already fragile captain over the edge.

The boy seizes his helpless wife in his arms and kisses her, forcing his lips upon her own.

His reiatsu flares around him.

"_**CAPTAIN! CAPTAIN!"**_

Slate gray eyes move slowly down to the sword at his side, his face is blank.

_Senbonzakura..._

"CONTROL YOUR REIATSU, CAPTAIN!"

Oh yes. He can feel it. The frigid, yet _burning _cold in his chest- right where _her_ knife had sliced through.

"**CAPTAIN!** Your spiritual pressure is becoming that of a-"

Senbonzakura's voice is fading away, and the captain of squad six can no longer hear the voice of reason. His reiatsu is spiking viciously, it vibrates the air around him in angry waves.

_It _purges from his mouth, his ears, his eyes, and Byakuya can feel the agony of it all. An emptiness pierces through his chest-right where his stab wound lay, and something begins to eat away at his flesh, the skin hollowing...

Through what remains of his sight he can see the white particles beginning to appear in front of him. They form into the air as translucent drops before they begin to spread over the left side of his face, enclosing his eye, then dipping sharply to crack into place just beneath his chin.

_Byakuya-sama...Byakuya-sama..._

The white pulls back around his Kenseikan, covering the base of his skull.

And Kuchiki Byakuya is no more.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: The moment we've all been waiting for. This story is drawing to an end. Just about two short chapters left to go, then the epilogue. I'll be able to update much sooner now that school is out.**

**Please Review, everyone!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hello, dearies! It's been a while hasn't it? Only about two more chapters to go! **

**Happy late Halloween?**

* * *

><p>Daisuke pulled away slowly, his eyes looking everywhere but to the confused girl in front of him.<p>

Hisana stares silently at the blonde teen, blood rushing to her face, turning her pale cheeks a dark crimson shade.

The boy rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Well that shut you up, huh?"

Hisana blinked owlishly and placed a hand to her lips.

He had _kissed_ her. Her first kiss.

The blonde cleared his throat.

"I'll put something on...You like movies?" He cringes at the question, and Hisana cannot help the small giggle that escapes her.

"...Yes, yes. I do, what's on?"

Daisuke jumps up to grab the remote control. He switches through the channels urgently, happy to be useful. Hisana traces the shape of her lips with quivering fingers. Their kiss had been passionate. Heated. He had pressed his lips upon her with such great intensity that it had literally taken her breath away.

"Phantom of the Opera?"

The raven haired woman glanced up. Those beautiful gray orbs stared back at her. In them held a gentleness that was foreign to her, and it made her heart flutter.

-o-

"_You will curse the day you did not do all that the phantom asked of you!"_

Hisana watched as the phantom gathered the frightened Christine into his arms, dragging her down into his labyrinth. Daisuke sat beside her, and she lay there, cuddled into his side as they lounged on the sofa. She wondered how it felt, to be in love with another to the point of obsession? To the point of stealing someone away against their very will?

The petite woman shuddered and buried her face into the blonde's shoulder.

Daisuke glanced down at her.

"The play is much better than the movie," he said reassuringly "I mean, the phantom isn't supposed to be _attractive_."

Hisana wanted to smile at his comment, but she frowned instead.

"I'm...I am afraid." She watched the film sympathetically, noting the distress that emanated from the pretty brunette on screen when the phantom proposed to her.

Daisuke said nothing for a moment. His eyes were sad, thinking. He gently pushed the tired girl away from him, putting a small pillow in his place.

"I'll be right back, Hisana,"

The said girl looked up at him drowsily, pawing sleepily at her amethyst eyes.

"Where are you going, Daisuke?"

The blonde gave her a small smile and reached out to take her hands, covering them with his own.

"To make a phone call."

-o-

_2:00 A.M._

Hisana sprang up from the sofa. The small woman looked around frantically.

_Something doesn't feel right...Where am I?_

She noticed the television had been turned off, and light from the moon outside illuminated the quiet living room.

_Right. Daisuke's house...but where is he?_

"Daisuke?" Hisana called quietly. She slowly pulled herself from the sofa, padding hesitantly down the hallway.

"Daisuke..?"

The sound of footsteps approaching towards her startled the young student, and she reeled back, ready to take flight.

"Hisana?"

Daisuke emerged from around the corner. He was now dressed in in a simple t-shirt and lounge pants. He smiled gently at his companion's nervous expression.

"I made a phone call earlier, and when I came back to check on you, you were asleep."

The blonde took her hand and lead her back to the living room, and Hisana followed after him obediently.

"There's nothing to worry about, Hisa-,"

The sound of glass shattering caused Hisana to scream in alarm, and Daisuke looked around frantically, pulling the frightened girl closer to him.

"What the hell was that?"

"I-I think it came from the l-living room..."

A surge of pressure stopped them in their tracks.

It was as a menacing, heavy, _crushing_, force. Their breaths caught in their throat, and they gagged on the oxygen that pulled from their tightening lungs. They could not move. It felt as though an immense presence was sitting on their chests, numbing their limbs and weighing them to the ground. Beads of sweat dribbled down their foreheads as the piercing pressure consumed them.

Hisana turned her head a fraction to look to the side of her.

There, in the doorway, stood a ghost.

His ebony robes blew around him as he stood silently, watching them, unaffected by the overwhelming pressure.

"No," Hisana whispered, and the blonde cranked his head to the side to glance at her.

"No, no, no, no, no, NO!"

The boy took in Hisana's petrified expression, noticing her shrunken eyes, her quivering frame.

Daisuke locked gazes with Hisana, his eyes widening in realization.

"You." he whispered, his frightened orbs mirroring his raven haired companion's.

At that moment, just like that, the pressure ceased.

Hisana collapsed to the floor choking on shaky, labored breaths. Daisuke stumbled but forced himself to keep upright. He inhaled hoarsely.

"Y-you," he gagged "You're the, the, _creep _that's been stalking Hisana!" the blonde angled his body so that he blocked her from the man's view.

She was shaking. Shaking. **Shaking**.

He had followed her here. _Here_, to Daisuke's house of all places. She felt a wave of bitterness engulf her, for she did not know whether to be horrified or laugh at the irony of it all.

_Do you all believe me now?_

"What do you want with her?" Daisuke spat, his jaw was clenched and Hisana noticed the sweat that dripped from his chin.

The man towered over them silently. He wore half a mask on his face. It dipped sharply at the base of his chin, the top pulling around the back of the hair piece he wore. His long raven hair whipped around him, and Daisuke noticed the sinister glow that emanated from his piercing, stony gaze.

"I believe you have something that belongs to me."

And he disappeared in a flash.

_NO DAISUKE!_

Hisana stood frozen as drops of crimson splattered onto her face. Daisuke was falling. He was falling.

She did not see what happened to her friend. All she saw and heard was the young blonde crumbling to the floor, and the thundering boom that followed.

_God..._

Psychology had taught her that humans had three reactions when placed under stress.

Fight. Flight. And _freeze_.

Of all the times her body could have chosen to react in such a way, this was not one of them.

_If you're there..._

As the man, the _monster_ towered over her friend's lifeless body, she could see the large, dark pool of his life essence begin to form beneath him.

_Please_

The burning sensation behind her eyes were all that she needed to confirm that she was crying, and she brought her hands to her lips, covering her mouth to cease the horrified scream that threatened to escape her.

With one smooth movement, the dark cloaked entity sheathes his sword.

He turns towards her. She can feel her heart pounding in her ears, and she feels that she is falling, falling into the deepest and darkest pits of despair.

_Help us._

The phantom's lips part, and it's baritone voice falls from it's lips, deep and waterlogged.

"The brat is much more charming this way, is he not?"

-o-

"Dammit!"

Reiko turned the windshield wipers on angrily. She had just turned around, and was now speeding down the road back to Karakura Town.

"Damn Fumio calling me in the middle of the night...or morning!"

Cars flew past her and the redhead stepped on the brakes, skidding to a halt to avoid colliding with the truck in front of her.

"Shit!" she yelled, slapping her hands down on the steering wheel as rain pelted her vehicle.

"This better be good for making me cancel my holiday!"

-o-

She can not bear to meet his gaze, so she cowers beneath him, waiting for her fate like a defenseless piece of prey. The man had taken her upstairs to what she presumed to be Daisuke's room. He had roughly deposited her upon the bed before pinning her beneath him.

_It_ can feel the presence of it's master's sword. Senbonzakura is there, watching, but staying silent, refusing to address the hollow.

_Coward._ He thinks, and the entity cannot help the small smirk that splits his lips.

_Are you not going to even try to stop me? _He muses, but the sword is stubborn, and he is met with an icy silence.

The girl, his master's wife, is struggling underneath him. She kicks and claws at him, tears of desperation streaming from her violet eyes.

He cannot help but find her _delicious_.

Oh how the hollow wishes to devour her whole...body and soul.

Her attempts at defending herself are amusing, if not pathetic. She is simply no match for him.

He would have her.

As a shinigami, his strength is beyond anything her innocent human mind can comprehend- but _hollowfied, _he is truly a force to be reckoned with. He could kill her, so easily maim her with his bare hands, yet she lies here, fighting him, with all she has.

With one hand, the hollow effortlessly pins the girls flailing arms above her head. He uses his other to gently caress her cheek with a false affection.

"Calm yourself."

Hisana stills, wide eyes flickering upwards to glance at the masked man.

What should be the whites of his eyes, show black through his mask. It's irises glow an eerie shade of fuchsia.

"Do not resist. You will only bring more harm to yourself, _little one_."

Hisana shudders, turning to bury her face into the soft pillows.

"To think that _he_ attempted to court you again. After all this time?"

Blinded by tears, the girl gathers her wits and clears her throat.

"W-what?"

The entity pierces her with an amused look, eyes shining with malicious intent.

"Perhaps a _whom_, instead of a what, _human_."

Hisana stares helplessly confused at the man pinning her down. Bruises have formed from where he had nipped at her ivory skin.

"It is because of _him_, that I am here."

Hisana attempts to pull away, but he shifts his body so that his weight is distributed onto her tiny frame, suffocating her.

"P-please," she whimpers quietly "I-I don't know who you're talking about..."

The masked phantom merely glares down at her terrified form, and she shrinks into the mattress.

"Kuchiki Byakuya.," the name falls from it's mouth bitterly, and the being wraps a hand around her slender throat. He squeezes gently, enjoying the panic that spreads across her pretty face.

"To lose your wife to a terrible unknown disease, only to find her prancing around the world of the living one hundred years later..."

Hisana freezes then, her blood running cold.

_Byakuya-Sama..._

"Poor, _poor_ man," the phantom's mouth curves upwards into a horrible grin. It is misplaced. Unnatural. Almost as if such an expression was never meant to be worn by someone such as him.

"_He_ has come here, to claim you as his once again."

He fixes her with a stare then, his eyes burrow into her, and she flinches.

"But I suppose that what belongs to him," She whimpers as the phantom parts her legs. He lifts a slender thigh, his thumb stroking the milky, naked flesh.

"_Also belongs to me."_


	8. Chapter 8

-o-

_3 Hours Previous_

The merciless onslaught of rain that pelted her vehicle came as a surprise. She didn't understand what caused the sudden storm. The day had started off promising. It had been cold, yes, but sunny as well. It was as if the clouds and the sky above were weeping. Emptying their angst onto the world below in the form of clear, icy droplets.

Reiko narrowed her eyes as she watched the traffic in the outer lanes pass her by.

"Move the fuck outta the way!" She growled, annoyed that she had allowed herself to get sandwiched between the never ending assembly line of cars. The driver behind her honked his horn, and the redhead shot a look of rage at him from the rearview mirror. The two held gazes for a long while until the man broke contact, dipping his head submissively.

"Damn right,"

Reiko was trying to make her way up to the ski resort in the north of the country. She and her cousin had been planning the trip for weeks. The redhead was relieved to finally be able to relax, let off some steam, and take a break from her hectic life. The many issues concerning school, work, and friends had been overwhelming her.

The redhead's thoughts shifted to Hisana again. Was she alright?

The sudden blaring of her ringtone made the girl jump out of her seat. She reached around to the backseat for her duffle bag, unzipping through the many pockets until she found what she was looking for. Spotting the black case with vertical red stripes, she pulled the iPhone from its prison, the bright screen nearly blinding her.

"What?" she spat when she answered the phone.

"_Woah, woah. What is it with everyone snapping at me today?"_

The redhead stopped her verbal assault.

_Daisuke?_

"What the hell do you want?" She continued in renewed irritation. She fumbled around in the glove compartment for the half-eaten candy bar that she'd been munching.

"_It's about Hisana…"_

The redhead paused her sloppy chewing. Her heart thudding in her ears.

"What's wrong? Is she okay? If you've hurt her I swear to God-"

"_N-no, no! Nothing like that!"_

Reiko could see the blonde scratching the back of his head nervously, she imagined sweat forming on his forehead.

"_I checked up on Hisana like you said,"_ there was a pause _"She was really upset."_

"What happened?"

"_I don't exactly know…I had just been about to knock on her door, when she suddenly ran out screaming. She started hitting me, and when she calmed down a bit, she told me someone had been chasing her."_

Reiko watched the traffic begin to move steadily. She stared out into the freezing rain.

"_I took her back to my place and we watched movies,"_ there was a crumbling of paper in the background. _"And, you're not gonna believe this, but Hisana got this creepy ass letter too."_

"Wait slow down, a letter?" Reiko asked, confused. He'd been talking too fast.

"_Yeah,"_ he paused again _"It's stalkerish as hell, he talks about 'taking Hisana from this world' or something."_

A chill runs down the redhead's spine.

That sounded like a threat to her.

"I…" her hands gripped the steering wheel. She sighed loudly.

"I'm turning around."

"_What?"_ Daisuke's voice asked through the receiver.

"I said I'm turning around. I'm going to your place, jeez, Fumio, are you fucking _deaf_?"

"_You're going to cancel your ski trip? Seriously? I have it all under control."_

"No," Reiko seethed "Hisana needs me to be there with her."

There was a silence on the other end, and Reiko wondered if the blonde had hung up on her. The windshield wipers moved back and forth rhythmically. She heard the boy give a gentle chuckle.

"_Alright, redhead, the key's under the mat."_

Reiko hung up the phone and held her head in her hands. She stared at her phone and sighed. The girl opened her contacts, dialing her cousin's number.

"I'm sorry Mitsuko," she smiled bitterly "You're gonna hate me for this."

-o-

_3:03 A.M._

When Reiko pulled up to Daisuke's home, she noticed that his car was already parked in the drive way. The redhead parked her _Civic_ on the curb and stepped out into the chilly night. From what she could see, there were no lights on in the home.

"Probably asleep." She murmured bitterly. When Daisuke had called her earlier, it had sounded like Hisana was in need of urgent attention. The tall woman checked her phone, and ran a hand through her curly red locks. A little after three. The witching hour. Reiko had learned from scary moves and urban legends that three o'clock was the devil's hour. It was the time when evil spirits left their domains to do harm to the living.

She had never believed in those sorts of things though.

Reiko stepped up onto the front porch, bending slightly to retrieve the spare key that lay under the mat. Its silver surface gleamed faintly in the moon's pale light as she twisted it into the lock.

_Click_

Reiko stepped inside the home, shutting the door softly behind her. It was dark. The only light that she could see was the faint glowing of the muted television in the distance. The young woman ventured deeper into the large home, her eyes flickered toward the living room.

Empty.

A part of her felt that she should leave, considering the fact that Daisuke and Hisana were most likely asleep. It felt strange to be walking around another person's home so late, and without them knowing. Daisuke could at least have stayed up to greet her!

A sloshing sound stopped her in her tracks.

Reiko growled lowly, lifting her boots to inspect the sticky substance. She glared at the floor in complete darkness, and attempted to let her eyes naturally adjust to the lack of light. The redhead placed her arms out in front of her, hoping to balance herself as she edged along the wall. Her hands flailed as she felt around for a light switch, trying not to slip.

_Aha_!

Reiko flipped the switch, and the kitchen was then brightly illuminated.

The woman looked down at her boots. They were covered in red.

Crystal blue orbs widened in alarm, and she turned slowly. Her eyes followed the trail she had made around the kitchen. Long splatters of boot prints littered the floor, staining it with deep red.

There, in the middle of the kitchen floor, lay Daisuke,

He had been practically sliced in half.

There was a massive, gaping hole straight through his abdomen. It looked as though he had been run through with a long, sharp object. A pool of dark crimson surrounded him, and the blonde's intestines spilled from his lower half in squishy, fleshy ringlets. But the most disturbing thing had to be the boy's face. The skin around Daisuke's normally handsome face was shrunken in, pulling tight around the boy's cheekbones. His lifeless grey eyes were wide in absolute horror. They were glazed over and stared unseeingly back at her.

Reiko's hand shot to cover her mouth, silencing the scream that threatened to escape.

"O-oh my God. Wha-what the _fuck_?"

-o-

"Ichigo,"

The said spiky haired teen lifted his gaze from the manga he was reading. He turned toward the petite woman sitting on his bed.

"Yeah?" he asked. He removed his headphones from his ears.

"Did you…did you feel something strange just now?"

The substitute soul reaper locked gazes with his raven haired companion. His amber eyes holding her amethyst ones.

"What do you mean?"

Rukia slowly drew the curtain from Ichigo's bedroom window, her worried eyes staring off into the night.

"Earlier. I thought I felt…Brother's reiatsu. Just for a split second though, but then it was gone."

The redhead stayed silent. He too had felt the sudden spike in what seemed to be Byakuya's spiritual pressure, but it was so quick, so _controlled _that he had brushed it off. He hadn't thought that Rukia was sensitive enough to catch it, but it appeared that she had. She glanced at him.

"What do you think?'

The lieutenant chewed on her bottom lip, her eyes staring longingly into the night.

"Byakuya's a strong man, Rukia," Ichigo sounded bitter, as if admitting this wounded his pride. "I'm sure he's okay." He then placed the headphones back into his ears, ending the conversation.

Rukia nodded slowly, hesitating before closing the curtains.

_Brother…_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I'm actually finished with the next chapter. Do you want me to publish it now? I feel that there needs to be a wait until I publish it though. Lol, there needs to be preparation because the next chapter is intense.**

**I'm thinking Valentine's Day?**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: WARNING: Non con and other sensitive themes.**

**Happy Valentine's Day!**

* * *

><p>She doesn't know exactly where she is.<p>

_He_ never told her, and she never asked.

_She could see the tears flowing down Reiko's face. Her beautiful crystal blues were wide with fear, and Hisana could see the sweat the dripped down her temple._

_Don't cry. Anything but that. _Please don't cry.

_She was the one that did the crying, not Reiko. Her brash, redheaded friend had always been the strong one. She was never afraid to speak her mind, and she oozed confidence and bravery wherever she went._

_But seeing her now, broken and scared and on the verge of losing her sanity, Hisana would do anything to tell her friend that everything was going to be okay. That _she_ would be okay._

_It hurt. She had never imagined it would hurt this much._

_When she had heard the frantic footsteps making their way up the stairs, she had thought that maybe, just maybe, that Daisuke had survived. Maybe he was coming to rescue her? _

_She knew that it was unlikely, yet she continued to lie to herself._

_Perhaps it was she that was losing their sanity?_

_When Reiko had burst through the door, covered in what she presumed to be Daisuke's blood, the redhead had locked frightened gazes with her. Hisana had watched as her childhood friend's eyes went from fear, to confusion, to complete and utter terror._

"_O-oh, god… H-Hisana what are y-you..?"_

_She lay naked on the bed, her legs spread wide. Her long raven locks fanned out behind her on the white satin sheets. The bed was shaking at a slow paced rhythm, and Hisana could only cry out helplessly as each thrust sent the headboard crashing into the wall behind her._

_Exhaustion shown in the petite girl's face, her eyes were half lidded and hazy. Her small whimpers and moans caused Reiko to choke on her tongue, and she scanned her tiny friend's face, her bruised body and the eerie way that the bed seemed to be moving on its _own_._

_None of them had believed her._

_Hisana couldn't stop the tears that flowed down her flushed cheeks, and the entity above her leaned down to lap them away from her soft, creamy skin._

_Daisuke could see him, but Reiko could not._

_The phantom above her suddenly stopped in his assault, and the young girl let out a small whine at the rough way he drew away from her._

"_It seems that we have a visitor," _

_It's deep, baritone voice made Hisana flinch. Her watery eyes slowly landed onto her redhead friend._

"_R-Reiko…please g-go…"_

_The redhead's eyes were fixed on the air above Hisana. Something was there. Something was there, on top of her friend, violating her. Her eyes roamed her friend's body; her rosy pink nipples, her long, slender legs._

"_Reiko…"_

_Her clothes had been carefully discarded, for the phantom had taken his sweet time in delicately removing them. Drawing out every moment, as if to savor the memory of her lying there, helpless._

_The girl let out a pitiful sound, somewhere between a moan and a whimper, and arched off the bed. The angle in which her back bent, seemed unnatural to Reiko, and the redhead cringed away from the sight._

_Reiko did not understand what was happening, and she wasn't sure that she really wanted to, but the sudden rage that inflamed her consumed every logical thought._

"_I don't know…what the _fuck_ you are," She stared at nothing, "but whatever the hell you are, GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HER!"_

_She screamed an inhuman sound, the overwhelming urge to protect her friend making her lunge forward._

"_**NO!**__ REIKO, NO!"_

"Scatter_."_

-o-

She resides here now. In this strange, dark place.

Cherry blossom trees line the deserted clearing, stripped bare of their leaves and beauty. The cherry blossoms lie, dead, on the frozen ground below. There is a freezing chill in the air that brings crispness to the leaves, bejeweled with frost, that crunch underneath her.

The cold does not bother her anymore though, after all, she is dead.

It is usually silent here, apart from the sudden and violent blizzards that appear during random times of the day. Or night. She has lost count on how long she's been here.

It is always night here, the moon above eerily illuminates the snow covered grounds, and sometimes, when she is feeling delighted, she might create something. Snow angels, snow people…

The ebony haired girl leans down to create the sculptures. She brushes away the smooth silk of the kimono she wears, sitting bare-legged in the freezing cold substance. The kimono is the only pop of color in this dreary world. It is a lovely shade of bright pink, with darker pink undertones, complete with a clean, white trim. The elegant kimono is decorated with falling cherry blossoms…

The sword says that there is a way for her to escape.

The mysterious warrior that lurked in this world did not communicate with her much. Their meetings were simple and brief, and he only appeared to ask her how she was feeling, and sometimes to comfort her after _his_ visits.

She could not see his face through his mask, but she could hear the way that his voice had broken during their first meeting.

She had been lying there, naked in the snow. Tears streaming down her face, and shivering violently. The phantom had simply deposited her here after he'd been done with her, turning sharply on his heel, and disappearing in a flash.

The mysteriously clad man had appeared sometime after the phantom's departure. His head had been dipped submissively, and he had appeared to be in pain when he looked at her.

He had simply gathered the frightened girl into his arms and began walking.

"He is a hollow."

Hisana lifted her head weakly, her entire body hurt, and her throat was raw from screaming. She stared up at him with confused, half lidded eyes.

"The hollow has made mention of Kuchiki Byakuya to you, correct?"

She nodded slowly, trying to listen to his words and distract herself from the mind numbing pain between her legs.

"Kuchiki Byakuya," he swallows thickly "was your husband in a past life."

The snow that had been falling gently had now began to pelt away at them, turning into a blizzard.

The man opened his mouth to speak, and he seemed to be searching for the right words to say, filtering himself, as to not upset the world around them.

"I am called Senbonzakura. I am Kuchiki Byakuya's sword."

And that was all her told her at first. He'd taken her to a small cave that sheltered her from the harsh winter, instructing her to 'not let _him_ learn of this place.' He'd told her that he would meet her here if she ever needed to speak with him. She had had many questions, but before she could open her mouth to ask them, he disappeared before her eyes.

Hisana glanced down at the finished snow people. There was one of a boy, and one of a girl.

Hisana smiled weakly, the expression did not meet her eyes.

"Reiko…D-Daisuke."

The misshapen blobs of white stared back at her with dark, pebbled eyes.

"H-how have you two been?"

Silence.

"I-," her voice cracked "I've been good. S-so good…"

She remembered their deaths vividly. And they replayed time and time again, every time she closed her eyes. She could see Daisuke, his body severed into two pieces. She could see Reiko…She could see how the blood had coated the walls…

And she remembered how _he_, the _hollow_ had stolen her own life with a single, painless, blow.

She remembered how, she woke up here.

"There you are,"

-o-

"_He watches you."_

_Hisana glanced up at Senbonzakura, startled by the sword's sudden appearance._

"_W-who does?" she whimpered, looking around in fright at this information._

"_Not him," the sword says, having a thought of the _who_ that she was referring to "Kuchiki Byakuya." He has to catch himself from saying the word, _husband_._

_Hisana blushes darkly, and the sword cannot help but admire the petite girl's beauty. Her red checks are full of life, a stark contrast to the barren landscape and death around her._

"_This is his inner word. He can always see you." Senbonzakura's eyes flicker away from the ebony haired female, trying to ignore the stabbing pain he feels at her scared expression._

"_Do not be frightened. He would never harm you." _We would never harm you.

_Hisana visibly relaxes at that. She bites her lip, wrapping her arms around herself._

"_Why have I never met him? Why hasn't he shown himself to me?"_

_Senbonzakura stares up at the grey, cloudy sky. All is still at the moment, there is no sign of snow, nor a coming storm._

"_This is his world, but currently, he is not in control of it."_

"_The hollow is," Hisana finishes the sentence for him, she stares blankly out into the dark forest of cherry blossom trees._

"_It pains him to see what happens to you here," Senbonzakura murmurs "To see what _he_ does to you, and not be able to stop it."_

Your pain is his pain…

_The sword turns to the girl, dipping his head respectfully._

"_Farewell, Hisana."And he is gone._

_As her tears begin to fall, so does the snow from the sky._

-o-

Hisana flinches at the baritone voice, but stays still. She had learned long ago that running only seemed to excite him, so she has decided to at least not give him that pleasure.

"You are never in the same place that I leave you, but I suppose that I must admire that you still have the strength to _walk_."

Hisana glances down at her snow friends. She looks to them as if they can help her. She supposes that she has always seen her friends as guardians, and she hates herself for it.

_My friends are dead because of me. Yet here I am, still wishing for them to help me?_

She hates herself for her selfishness, but she simply cannot help it. She is afraid. This has happened to her already so _many_ times, yet she still feels petrified when he finds her. He always sneaks up on her. He sees it as some sort of game. He hunts her, stalks her, and attacks her like a predator with its prey.

He moves forward and Hisana tenses. She curls into herself submissively before her back hits the freezing snow.

His hands rip at her kimono and his body covers hers. She notices, bitterly, that their bodies fit together, like a glove.

Her mind wanders.

The sword says that there is a way for her to escape. He tells her that she is not permanently trapped here, that Byakuya will free her when he gains his strength.

_How can he free me, when he himself cannot even escape his own mind? _

She finds herself hating this Byakuya. She knows it is wrong, but this world has made her resentful.

She thinks of her friends, the only family she'd ever had. Reiko's tomboyish nature, her boisterous laughter. She thinks of Daisuke's handsome smiles, of his shiny blonde hair.

He had not even spared their souls.

The pace increases, and she can no longer ignore what is happening. Her eyes roll in her head, and breathless cries escape her puffy lips. The movements of wet skin slapping against wet skin are too much for the young girl, and she moans deliriously into the night.

Again she comes undone before him, and the hollow grins cruelly down at her. A type of mocking, knowing smirk, and Hisana hates him for it.

When he is finished, he pulls away from her. He straightens his clothes, leaving her there, sprawled out and bare.

His mouth opens to forms those words, those dreaded words that he always says afterwards.

"Next time, _little one_."

When he is gone, Hisana rolls over to lie on her side. She does not know how long she's been here, and she does not know how long she will continue to be here.

White flurries fall sadly from the cloudy dark sky, and Hisana wants to close her eyes. Her mind, her body, and her soul are exhausted.

She gives her friends a small smile, noticing their worried expressions.

"Maybe I am a bit crazy after all." She whispers.

She closes her eyes and surrenders to unconsciousness.

The snowy shapes of Reiko and Daisuke stared back at her.

* * *

><p><strong>AN & Explanation: Byakuya's hollow somehow managed to trap Hisana's soul inside Byakuya's inner world. Reminder that an inner hollow is brought about by fear, pain, or some kind of distress so it makes sense for the hollow to do this. Subconsciously, Byakuya is putting Hisana into a place where he will never lose her again. I have this headcannon that if in Ichigo's inner world, it rains when he is distressed, then Byakuya's would be a never ending winter. Ichigo likes the sunlight, so I have concluded that, sense Byakuya seems to be fond of spring, (Cheery blossoms are a symbol of spring as well.) then when in a state of depression, Byakuya's world would be in a winter-like state. Cold and dead. Interesting right?**

**Please review. I'm very proud of this chapter.**

**Next up, the epilogue.**


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